684
FXUS65 KBYZ 132121
AFDBYZ
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BILLINGS MT
221 PM MST TUE JAN 13 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- LIGHT RAIN SHOWERS IN SOUTHEASTERN MONTANA AND NORTHERN WYOMING
TODAY; TRACE TO 0.20 INCHES OF PRECIPITATION.
- BREEZY CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE ALONG THE WESTERN FOOTHILLS
WEDNESDAY WITH GUSTS IN THE 40S MPH MOST COMMON.
- MOSTLY DRY, WINDY, AND UNSEASONABLY WARM WEATHER OVER THE
FOOTHILLS WEST OF BILLINGS WILL INCREASE THE RISK OF GRASS FIRES
WEDNESDAY.
- WEATHER SYSTEM WILL LIKELY BRING STRONG NORTHWEST WINDS TO
EASTERN MONTANA AND NORTHERN WYOMING THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY; 70
PERCENT CHANCE OF 50+ MPH WINDS.
DISCUSSION
TODAY THROUGH MONDAY...
WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TO DECREASE THROUGH THE AFTERNOON
AND EVENING AS STRONGER UPPER LEVEL WINDS TRANSITION EAST AND THE
PRESSURE GRADIENT EASES. THE GRADIENT AND MID LEVEL WINDS WILL
REMAIN FAVORABLE INTO THE BIG TIMBER/HARLOWTON AREAS, ALTHOUGH
WINDS ARE NOT EXPECTED TO BE STRONG (GUSTS IN THE 40S MPH COMMON).
AS FAR AS PRECIPITATION, A BAND OF PRECIPITATION FROM HARLOWTON
TO NORTH OF BILLINGS, DOWN THROUGH SHERIDAN, WY IS EXPECTED TO
PERSIST INTO THE EVENING HOURS MAINLY FOR SOUTHERN BIGHORN AND
SHERIDAN COUNTIES (20-40% CHANCE). INTO TOMORROW, AS HIGHER
HEIGHTS BUILD IN AND BREEZY CONDITIONS REMAIN ACROSS THE WESTERN
FOOTHILLS, THERE IS INCREASED CONCERN FOR GRASS FIRE FOR AREAS OF
YELLOWSTONE AND MUSSELSHELL COUNTIES WEST. BE CAREFUL NOT TO CAUSE
A SPARK DURING THIS TIME!
AS LOWER HEIGHTS MOVE IN FROM THE NORTHEAST, A SLIGHT COOL DOWN
AND BREEZY CONDITIONS CAN BE EXPECTED. AS THE PRESSURE GRADIENT
ACROSS EASTERN MT AND THE DAKOTAS TIGHTENS, THAT, ALONG WITH 850
MB WINDS 45-55 KTS WILL ALLOW FOR POTENTIALLY STRONG WINDS
THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY MORNING. CURRENTLY, THERE IS ABOUT A
50-80% CHANCE FOR GUSTS TO 50 MPH FOR FAR EASTERN MT. THE HIGHER
HILLS AND FOOTHILLS ACROSS SHERIDAN CO, WY HAVE ABOUT A 30-60%
CHANCE OF HITTING 50 MPH. LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE
WITH THIS SYSTEM ACROSS EASTERN MT. LESS THAN AN INCH OF SNOW IS
MOST LIKELY AT THIS TIME.
TEMPERATURES LOOK TO QUICKLY REBOUND FOR THE WEEKEND, FOR THE
CENTRAL AND WESTERN ZONES, BUT REMAIN COOL FOR THE EAST.
POTENTIAL FOR A BACKDOOR FRONT EXISTS FOR THE BEGINNING OF NEXT
WEEK, BUT THERE IS STILL UNCERTAINTY ON THE WESTWARD EXTENT OF
THAT SYSTEM.
HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL BE WARMEST WEDNESDAY AT 50-65 DEGREES (20-30
DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL). TEMPERATURES WILL BE COOLEST FRIDAY
FOLLOWING THE COLD FRONT (LOW 40S TO UPPER 20S EAST). OTHERWISE
TEMPS WILL BE IN THE 30S TO LOW 50S, COOLEST EAST. TS
AVIATION
GUSTY WEST TO NORTHWEST WINDS OF 20-40 KTS THIS AFTERNOON WILL
CONTINUE TO DECREASE INTO THE EVENING, WITH WINDS IN THE 10-25 KT
RANGE. ISOLATED TO SCATTERED RAIN SHOWERS OVER SOUTHERN AND
EASTERN AREAS WILL DECREASE INTO THE EVENING. LOCALIZED MVFR
CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE WITH THE SHOWERS. SNOW SHOWERS WILL BRING
OBSCURATIONS TO THE MOUNTAINS, GREATEST OVER THE BIGHORNS INTO
TONIGHT. WESTERLY WIND INCREASE OVER THE WESTERN FOOTHILLS
TOMORROW, WITH GUSTS OF 20-40 KTS FROM KLVM TO K6SO AND K3HT. STP
PRELIMINARY POINT TEMP/POPS
WED THU FRI SAT SUN MON TUE
-----------------------------------------------------------
BIL 038/064 038/052 029/042 026/053 032/052 025/049 031/050
10/U 00/N 00/B 00/U 00/U 00/B 00/B
LVM 037/058 035/052 023/042 027/052 030/050 027/050 031/049
00/U 00/U 00/B 00/U 00/U 00/U 00/B
HDN 034/062 033/049 026/040 021/052 028/050 021/047 026/049
20/U 01/N 00/B 00/B 00/U 00/U 00/B
MLS 032/052 034/043 024/031 018/041 024/041 017/035 021/039
00/B 00/N 00/N 00/B 00/B 00/B 00/B
4BQ 033/056 035/045 024/033 020/044 026/045 019/042 023/044
10/B 00/N 00/N 00/B 00/U 00/B 00/B
BHK 026/048 029/039 018/028 011/034 018/034 010/031 015/036
00/B 00/N 20/N 00/B 00/N 00/B 00/B
SHR 032/060 032/049 020/035 019/049 026/049 020/046 024/049
30/U 01/N 00/N 00/U 00/U 00/U 00/B
BYZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
MT...NONE.
WY...NONE.
WEATHER.GOV/BILLINGS
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